A little more than three months ago on April 2, 2025, Wargaming Group Limited, the studio behind live service hits like World of Tanks, launched Steel Hunters, a mech-themed free-to-play hero shooter that initially released on Steam in early access.
Today, Wargaming Group Limited announced that Steel Hunters will be shutting down this coming October 8, 2025, officially adding Steel Hunters to the pile of free-to-play titles unable live until its one-year anniversary, and in this case, it didn't even make it out of early access.
"Today we share difficult news," the studio began in a post on the game's Steam page. "We've made the decision to sunset Steel Hunters. You've given us so much passion and support but unfortunately we've come to the conclusion that continuing development is not sustainable. We know this isn't the news anyone wanted to hear and we genuinely share in your disappointment."
Steel Hunters was first announced at The Game Awards 2024, with Wargaming's chief executive officer, Victor Kislyi saying at the time "This is a massive moment for Wargaming...With Steel Hunters, we're pushing past our boundaries and bringing something completely new. Our ambition is to create one of the most exhilarating and compelling mech experiences ever."
That the game will be shut down by October 8, 2025, means that it didn't even make it a year since it was revealed.
If you want to check out Steel Hunters before it is shut down for good, or if you were already playing it, then you'll be glad to know that Wargaming is unlocking everything in the game for all players. All available Hunters, including ones that Wargaming was priming for a future content update that no one had seen before, are now available in the game for players to have fun with.
Wargaming will also be releasing support for custom matches in the coming weeks so players who've enjoyed Steel Hunters can set up private community games with their friends. The studio will also host a farewell tournament for Steel Hunters before it is shut down, with more details for that to be shared soon via the game's official Discord.
"We are immensely grateful for your time, feedback, memes, and countless memorable battles we've shared," the farewell post continued. "From the very first days of Alpha, you've shaped Steel Hunters with your energy, creativity, and dedication, and we're honored to have had you on this journey. We couldn't have wished for a better community and we'll miss you all dearly. Thank you, Hunters, for everything."
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
